One Year Later: My Life In New York City (A Note From The Author)

By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com

Last year, my brother, Aaron, and I completed our vast journey across the country that began in Overland Park, Kansas and ended in my new apartment in the Murray Hill area of New York City.  My folks, Gloria and Matthew Elyachar, who traveled via Southwest Airlines a few days earlier greeted us as we drove my massive Penske tuck up to my apartment door.

Like clockwork, my dad and Aaron grabbed all the furniture and boxes and put them in my apartment. The process was a blur, but we got everything done within three days. After I sadly said “Farewell” to my folks and brother, I began the next chapter of my life.  I put on my tuxedo and went to the Apollo Theatre to watch the taping of Spike’s One Night Only with Alec Baldwin.  I sat in the audience as the likes of Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Robert De Niro, and President Bill Clinton entertained the crowd and roasted the celebrated actor.

Throughout my time in New York City, I got to experience the best of Broadway as I saw On Your Feet, The Band’s Visit, Once on this Island, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One & Two. I also sat in the audiences of some of my favorite talk shows such as The View, The Wendy Williams Show, Live with Kelly & Ryan, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! From Brooklyn.  From getting advice from Seth Meyers and exchanging a quick moment with Whoopi Goldberg to watching Jimmy Kimmel interview Howard Stern live, I truly enjoyed being my time as a studio audience member.

Also, I took advantage of seeing impeccable concerts. It was beyond a thrill to travel to the Barclay Center to see Queen + Adam Lambert and Janet Jackson rock out. Or having the once in a lifetime opportunity of seeing Tony Bennett perform at Radio City Music Hall. In addition, I got to experience an intimate performance from legendary vocalist Darlene Love at the now-defunct B.B. King Blues Club & Grill.

Despite overindulging in the pop culture cornucopia, I faced a lot of challenges during my time in the city. Finding a job was like searching for a hypothetical diamond needle in a golden haystack. Another obstacle that I faced were mental bouts of homesickness and loneliness. I felt that I missed seeing my friends’ children for the first time and developing my love of fitness through the impeccable CrossFit 913 community.

Thankfully, I am still able to connect with my old friends and contact my folks and Aaron through the magic of FaceTime. I am also grateful that I got to see some of them while I make my mini-vacations back home to Kansas City. While I was able to reconnect with old friends from my past, I am blessed that I have found several new friends who have become family to me including my dear friends Nick Raffin, Elyse Johnson, and Ashley Rushford.

In addition, I am thankful to the social groups including the University of Colorado at Boulder Alumni Association’s New York chapter, the UJA Federation of New York’s Young Entertainment and Emerging Leaders & Philanthropists groups, and the Young Jewish Professionals. These groups have helped me strengthen my professional and personal networks.

New York City also made me fall in love with cooking again. For almost three years, I relied upon pre-made Whole Foods Market meals. However, NYC is an expensive place to live in, so I had to relearn how to cook again.  Thanks to the Internet and some experimentation, I was able to prepare a plethora of meals and side dishes, which I have been posting on my Instagram.

 

One of the best perks about living in New York City is having the ability to take either the 4 or 5 trains to Bowling Green and walking past the Statue of Liberty. Seeing Lady Liberty gives me inspiration. Recently, I had the opportunity to see the Statue of Liberty up close and personal during an Alumni Cruise with the CU Boulder, the University of California at Los Angeles, and the University of Arizona. I captured the photo, so that inspired me to continue to chase my dreams in New York City and hopefully attain both my goals and bucket list items.

Can’t wait to start year two!